Assigkbtob



Oct. 30 1923. 1,472,235

A. L. ABBOTT SPRINKLER HEAD TESTING DEVICE Filed May 21, 1920 P0 TA R 7 CAN wuavl-foz Patented Get. 3%, i923,

1,472,235 rraar cries.

ALBERT L. ABBOTT, OF YQUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 OHIO AUTOMATIC SPRIN- KLER COMPANY, OF YOUNGS'EOVJ n, OHIO, a conroaarron or OHIO.

SPRINKLER-HEAD-TESTING DEVICE.

Application filedMay 21,

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ALBERT LrrrLn AB- norr, of Youngstown, Mahoning County, State of Ohio, have made a certain new and useful Invention relating'to Sprinkler-Head- Testing Devices, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same. r

This invention relates to devices for submitting automatic sprinkler heads or other devices to hydraulic test and for conveniently and effectively gripping and releasing the sprinkler heads in connection therewith. The testing device may advantageously comprise one or more gripping jaws which may be threaded or otherwise formed to cooperate with the threaded stem or other convenient portion of each of the automatic sprinkler heads or devices to be tested. These jaws may be pivotally mounted and normally spring retracted, if desired, and by providing thenrwith rotary cam actuating devices two or more gripping jaws may simultaneously engage and grip the sprinkler head stem and exert a centering action thereon, if desired. It'is advantageous to have a plunger formed with a yielding or elastic socket 'or packing to' engage the stem of the sprinkler head and this plunger which may have a constricted fluid passage therethrough may be slidingly mounted in the casing to which the jawsare secured and may be automatically forced upward to make a tight effective joint with the sprinkler head when the water is turned on to place the head under the testing pres sure of three to five hundred pounds per square inch more or less. This forces up the plunger so that tight contact with the head is made and leakage prevented and after the may be testing fluid is shut off the plunger released and retracted if desired by a releasing spring in the casing.

'In the illustrative embodiment of this invention shown in the drawing which is a vertical sectional view the supply pipe 5 communicating with any desired valve mechanism for turning on and off the high pressure testing fluid, may, for instance,

be screwed to the threaded stem 41 of the:

base 1 which may have a screw joint 28 with the casing 2. This casing'may be formed with the integral brackets 15 to support, the desired number of gripping 1920. Serial No. 383,211.

jaws through which may extend the jaw pivots 13, on each side of the casing'so to support these gripping jaws 18 which may be formed with threaded portions 19 to properly cooperate with the threaded stem or connecting portion 21 of the sprinkler arm 20 or other device to be tested which may of course have any desired construction. These gripping jaws which may have integral depending or angularly ar ranged jaw arms 11, 12, may, if desired, be spring retracted, for which purpose the springs 17 may be arranged to extend around the lower part of these jaw arms and be coiled or twisted around the jaw pivots 14 before having their ends secured to any suitable portion of the jaw brackets, as, for instance, the spring retainer pins 16. In this way the two or more jaw arms are normally retracted by such spring action so that the connected gripping jaws l8are normally withdrawn so as to permit the insertion or removal of a sprinkler head.

The position of these gripping jaws is, however, preferably controlled by a rotary earn 9 which may be mounted within an annular recess 26 between the base' 1 and connected casing of the device. When the cam is turned in the direction of the arrow as by the projecting handle 10 thereon the depending ends of the jaw arms are forced outward which gives a slow and powerful inward and downward movement to the grippingjaws so that the threaded neck of the sprinkler head s quickly and strongly gripped thereby.

A movable plunger, such as 27, is preferably mounted within the casing 2 and formed with a yielding socket for contact with the end of the neck or connection of the sprinkler head as by providing an elastic or yielding packing 22 in the upper portion of the protruding plungerhead 3. This plunger preferably has a somewhat constricted fluid passage 23 and is provided with suitablepacking means, such as the washer engaging the walls 6 of the easing and held in place on the plunger as, for instance, by the nut 25. The supply passage 8 admitting the hydraulic testing fluid to the casing is preferably of larger area or capacity than at least some parts of the fluid passage 23 so that after the sprinkler head has been gripped by the jaws18 andthe testing fluid turned on by the cooperating valve mechanism the pressure rises rapidly in the casing and through its action on the relatively large area plunger forces the plunger upward into firm engagement ith the relatively small end of the sprinkler head. before sutficient'of the testing liquid has passed up through the constricted fluid passage23 to cause any objectionable leaks around the end of the head. If desired also one or more vent Openings 24 may be formed in the upper part of the casing above the plunger to facilitate this upward movement, although this is not in all cases necessary. This upward movement of the plunger takes place rapidly and automatically so that suilicient tightening action takes place practically at once as soon as the testing fluid is turned on so that the headand its fusible link and connect-ions can be thoroughly tested at such hydraulic pressure as is desired, of course any heads which leak under the testing pressure being rejected.

After the head has been tested for the desired length of time the watermay be shut oif and the pressurein the casing preferably relieved torelieve the upward pressure on the plunger which is thus free to move downward slightly under the resilient action of the parts such asv the packing 22 although, if desired, a special releasing spiral spring 29 may in some cases be arranged around the, plunger within the casing to facilitate this releasing-movement. Then the gripping jaws may be withdrawn by turning the r0,- tary cam 9 to the desired extent which allows the retracting springs to vwithdraw and simultaneously raise the threaded ends of these gripping jaws which permits-the withdrawal of the tested head and the sub-' stitution of another head within the jaws which can of course be promptly brought inward and downward by a clamping movement of the cam which thus grips the threaded stem of the succeeding head and simultaneously forces it downward somewhat toward or against the plunger.

This invention. has been described in con nection with a number of illustrative embodiments. parts, forms, sizes, proportions, materials and arrangements, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimedv as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. In hydraulic testing devices for testing automatic sprinkler heads or the like. a casing formed with integral brackets and having a, groove and a supply passage to supply hydraulic testing fluid to said cas+ ing, a series of gripping jaws having cooperating threaded inner ends. pivoted to said. brackets: and having-depending jaw arms outside said-casing, retracting springs cooperating-with said jaw armsto normally retract said jaws, a rotary cam mounted in said groove in said casing and cooperating wit-h said jaw arms to positively force said jaws inward and downward to engage the threaded stemrof a sprinkler head, a plunger vertically slidable in said casingand having a constricted fluid passage of less effective area than said supply passage and having a socket provided with yielding packing on the protruding end of said plunger adjacent said jaws to be forced against the connecting end'of the automatic sprinkler engaged by said jaws when the hydraulic testing fluid is admitted to said casing; V

2. 1n hydraulictesting devices for test ing automatic sprinkler heads or the like, a casing formed with integral brackets and having a supply passage tosupply hydraulic testing fluid to said'casing, a series of gripping jaws having cooperating threaded inner ends pivoted to said brackets and having depending aw arms outside said casing, retracting springs cooperating with said jaw arms to normally retract said jaws, a cam cooperating with said. jaw arms to positively force said jaws inward and downward to engage the threaded. .stem of a sprinkler head, a plunger vertically slidable in said casing and having a fluid passage and hav ing a yieldingsealing member-onthe protruding end of said plunger adjacent said jaws to -be forced against the connecting end of the automatic sprinkler engaged by. said jaws when the hydraulic testing fluid is admitted to said casin r j 3.- In hydraulic testing devices adapted for testing automatic sprinkler heads, a casing having a hydraulic supply passage, two

gripping jaws having cooperating threaded inner ends pivoted to said casing and having depending jaw arms adjacent thereto, retracting springs cooperating with jaw arms to normally retract said. jaws, cooperating cain means to positively force said jaws inward and downward'to engage the threaded stem of a sprinkler head, a plunger slidable in said: casing and: having' a constricted fluid passage of less effective area than said supply passage and having a socket provided with yielding packing onthe protruding end of said plunger adjacent said jaws to be forced against the connecting end of the automatic sprinkler engaged by said jaws-when the hydraulic testing fluid is admitted tosaid casing. V

4:; In hydraulic testing devices adapted for testing automatic sprinkler heads, a casing having a, hydraulic supply passage, two

gripping jaws having cooperating threaded nner ends pivoted to, said casing, retractmg springs to. normally retract said jaws, cooperating cam means to positively force said jaws together to engage the threaded stem of a sprinklershead, a: plungerslidable in said casing and having a constricted fluid passage of less efl'ective area than said supply passage and having a socket provided With yielding packing on the protruding end of said plunger adjacent said jaws to be forced against the connecting end of the automatic sprinkler engaged by said jaws when the hydraulic testing fluid is admitted to said casing.

5. In hydraulic testing devices adapted for testing automatic sprinkler heads, a casing having a hydraulic supply passage, two gripping jaws having cooperating inner ends pivoted to said casing, retracting springs to normally retract said jaws, cooperating means to positively force said jaws together to engage the threaded stem of a sprinkler head, a plunger slidable in said casing and having a constricted fluid passage of less efl'ective area than said supply passage and having yielding packing adjacent said jaws to be forced against the connecting end of the automatic sprinkler engaged by said jaws when the hydraulic testing fluid is admitted to said casing.

6. In hydraulic testing devices adapted for testing automatic sprinkler heads, a casing having a supply passage to supply hydraulic testing fluid to said casing, a cooperating series of gripping members, means to manually force said gripping members together and toward said casing to engage a sprinkler head, a plunger slidable in said casing and having a fluid passage and having sealing means adjacent said gripping members to be automatically forced against the connecting end of the automatic sprin kler engaged by said gripping members when the hydraulic testing fluid is admitted to said casing.

7. In hydraulic testing devices adapted for testing automatic sprinkler heads, a casing having a supply passage to supply hydraulic testing fluid to said casing, co-operating gripping members, means to force said gripping members together and toward said casing to engage a sprinkler head, a plunger slidable in said casing and having a fluid passage and having sealing means adjacent said gripping members to be forced against the connecting end of the automatic sprinkler engaged by said gripping members. 1

ALBERT L. ABBOTT. 

